Explosive.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD HIIBBERT, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EXPLOSIVE.

N 0 Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1911, Application filed June 15, 1910. Serial No. 566,934. I

This nitro-glycerin has certain defects, among which it may be stated that the glycerin which is its base is expensive, and the temperature of explosion of the explosive mixture ofthe nitro-glycerin is very.

high, which makes it in many cases not a good ingredient for smokeless powder.

I have discovered that if butylene glycol nitrate be formed, a product is obtained whose temperature of explosive ignition is lower than that of nitro-glycerin, which enables it to be freely used as an ingredient of smokeless powder, safety explosives and dynamite. 'Further, I have discovered that such compound may be combined with nitrates or nitro compounds,such, for instance, as examples of nitrates nitro-cellulose or nitro starch, toform a colloid of such mixtures. It also may be mixed with nitroglycerin, and the resulting mixture has a lower freezing point and is more stable than nitro-glycerin.

WVhile butylene glycol is known and is described in text books, I believe myself to.

be the first to have discovered nitratedbut-ylene glycol andits value for the purposes named. Further, the method of making butylene glycol, as set out in the text books, is so complicated as to render it very expensive and difiicult to carry out. My discovery, therefore, includes a simple method for directly producing this, butylene glycol as well as the nitrated butylene glycol.

The butylene glycol is represented 1n formula in the following manner:

ens-( 211011 onion and when nitrated the formula is thus represented CH -CHNO:

I produce the butylene glycol in the following manner: I take ethyl alcohol (C H OH) which may be de-natured without affecting the result. This ethyl alcohol is first oxidized. Preferably I accomplish this oxidation by the ordinar catalytic oxidation from the air, such for'lnstance, by using metallic platinum or copper and heat. The resultant is acct-aldehyde (C H O) This acetaldehyde is then condensed. I have used for this condensation an aqueous solution of an alkaline carbonate, for instance, potassium carbonate; 450 grams of acetalde- .hyde were cooled to --5 C. and 200 grams of powdered ice then added. A few drops of a cooled solution of potassium carbonate containing 19 grams of the carbonate in cubic centimeters of water were introduced into this mixture the temperature not being allowed to rise above +10 C. After standing some 10 or 15 minutes a further quan tity of the carbonate solution was intro. duced and again allowed to stand, contents being kept as nearlyas possible at a temperature of 0 C. After the whole of the carbonate had been added, the reactionproduct was kept in ice water for several hours to prevent any rise of temperature and then for a further 20 hours at +8 to +10 C. If the pure aoetaldol is required this may be extracted with ether, but for the purpose 'of'obtaining butylene gly'col this is unnecessary. -The condensation can be produced by other alkaline carbonate or a borate, phosphate, acetate or cyamd, of the alkaline metals or alkaline earths. The resultant of this condensation is acetaldol (0 11 0 This condensation product is then reduced to butylene glycol by means of a reducing agent, and I have employed the following IHQiLhOClZ-Thfi aqueous solution of acetaldol', obtained by ctmdensing 450 grams of acetaldehyde with potassium carbonate was diluted to six literswit h ice- ,water, rendered neutral by the addition of hydrochloric acid and then 142 grams of aluminum amalgam added. After standmg for two days, the aluminum hydroxid I was filtered off and a further 58 grams of the amalgam added, and the mixture left for a further two days. After filtering the solution, the butylene glycol was recovered.

by evaporating off the water. under reduced pressure. Other amalgams may be used and, further, the aluminum or other metal or an alloy or several metals may be used and also without the use of mercury. In this condition the butylene glycol exists in an aqueous solution and is isolated by simple distillation, preferably. under vacuum.

This butylene glycol may then be nitrated in the same manner that lycerin is nitrated, by means of nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the following manner: 350 grams of ordinary nitratmg acld'such as is used for the nitration of glycerin were cooled to 5 'Ceancl then 50 grams of butylene glycol slowly introduced into this, under the surface of-the liquid in a fine spray, the acid mixture being kept at -5 C. and agitated vigorously throughout theaddition.

The butylene glycol dinitrate at. once rises to the surface as a yellow oil and'mav be separated without further difiiculty from the acid mixture.

mixed with a nitrate or nitrates, as for'instance, nitroglycerln, IlltI'O-CQllll'lOSQS or nitro-starch. Indeed, I- have found it quite,

valuable when mixed with nitroglycerin as it"then lowers the: freezing point of nitroseparation after nitration a very simple 'mattcr. When mixed with nitro-glycerin it lowers the freezing point and promotes its stability. It colloids nitro-cellulose more effectively than .does nitro-glycerin and. such mixtures are very stable.

The resultant nitrated compound may then be used by. itself or The following are examples of admixtures containing butylene glycol nitrate:-

Butylenegly'col nitrate, 1 partby weight; nitro-glycerin, 3 parts by weight.

Butylene glycol nitrate, 3 parts by weight; nitro-starch, 1 part by weight.

' ;Butylene glycol nitrate, 1 part by'weight; intro-glycerin, 2 parts by weight; nitrostarch, 1 part by weight.

Butylene glycol nitrate, 1 part by weight;

glycerins, although I have shown only the formula of the tri-nitro-glycerin. In like manner, when- I use the term nitro-butylene glycol I intend to include the mononitro-butylene glycol and the di-nitro-butylene glycohalthough I have only shown the formula of the di-nitro-butylene glycol.

I do not herein claim the method of producing butylene glycol, as the same forms the subject matter of an application filed September 15, 1910, Serial No. 582,144, a division of this application. Nor do I claim herein specifically the explosive wherein a nitro derivative is used with nitrated butylene glycol, as this also is claimed in an application filed by me September 15, 1910, SerialNo. 582,145.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent 'is:

1. An explosive containing butylene glycol nitrate.

2. An explosive containing an admixture of" butylene glycol nitrate and a nitrate.

3. An explosive containing an admixture of butylene glycol nitrate and nitrates.

4:. An explosive containing an admixture of butylene glycol nitrate and nitro-glycerm. I v

In testimony of which inv'ention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington, on this 7th day of June, 1910.;

HAROLD HIBBERT.

copies of this pa ent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner 0': Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

